Nail plate feeder



Oct. 6, 1931. w. H. JOHNSON NAIL PLATE FEEDER Filed July 5, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet` l INV NAIL PLATE FEEDER Filed July s, 1925 2 sheets-snoei 2 wider at one end than at the other.

Patented Oct. 6, 1931 nnen STATES FTEN' OFFICE I W'ILLIAM H. JOHNSON, 0F ARLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, It. GORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY NAIL PLATE FEE-DER Application led July 3, 1925. Serial No. 41,299.

This invention relates to the feeding of sheet material and is illustrated herein as embodied in a nail plate feeding device arranged to feed nail plates to a cut nail makf' ing machine.

Cut nails are commonly made from sheet metal which is cut into strips a little wider than the length of the nails to be made. rllhese strips, commonly spoken of as nail plates, are fed to a nail-making machine, usually through a barrel which is Varranged with its axis not quite at right angles to the knives of the nail machine so that each nail blank severed from the plate will be a little Between the severing of successive nail blanks the strip and barrel are rotated through an angle of 180 degrees so that the wide ends of successive nail blanks will be cut from opposite edges of the nail plate. Mechanism is commonly provided for feeding the nail plate step by step through the barrel, this mechanism operating so that the feeding movement takes place between the cutting of successive f nail blanks from the strip.

A largely used mechanism for feeding the nail plate through the barrel comprises a pair or nipper aws carried by a. rod urged toward the blank-cutting knives of the machine by a suitably connected weight, the rod and nippers being withdrawn manually and a new i ail plate inserted when the preceding plate becomes exhausted. Machines of this type are very simple and reliable.

V Accordingly, their lirst cost is low and their maintenance charges small. On the other hand, a workman can supply nail plates to only about eight or ten of these feeding de- Vices. As these feeding devices have commonly been built, it is necessary for the workman, when he isto supply a new nail plate, lo withdraw the nippers from the barrel, release a locking device which holds the nipper jaws closed, and then to open the jaws, let

ting the butt drop out, after which he inserts a new nail pla-te, closestne jaws and replaces the locking device. Thus he has several distinct operations to perform and the number of machines that he can tendis accordingly limi-ted.

kbe fed forward by the machine.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a nail plate feeding device which, while maintaining the simplicity, reliability, low lirst cost and low maintenance charges of existing hand-fed, nail plate feeding devices, will substantially increase the number of machines that maybe tended by a single operator. TWith this object in view, the herein disclosed machine, which constitutes a ppeferre'd embodiment of the invention, is so organized that beperformed in removing a butt and inserting a new nail plate is reduced and the nature of the steps simplified. Thus in accordance with an important feature of the invention, the nail plate holding nippers of the herein disclosed machine are so organized that a simple squeeze of the nippers will release the grip of the jaws upon a butt. A new nail plate may then be introduced between the jaws whichare thereupon released and the nail plat-e is held between the jaws ready to In the illustrated machine the nipper jaws, which have a generally parallel relation instead of crossing each other at their pivot, are springpressed toward each other to grip the nail plate. The pressure of the nipper jaws necessary to hold the light, narrow nail plates from which small nails and tacks are made is small enough so that the operator may apply the necessary squeezing pressure Ito the nipper jaws with his hand. Conveniently and as disclosed herein, a stationary part of the machine is located adjacent tothe position occupied by the nipper jaws at the time a new nail plate is supplied so that the operator may squeeze the nipper jaws against such stationary part of the machine frame, thus obtaining a better grip than he would upon the nipper jaws alone.

In the case of machines organized to make larger nails, for example shingle nails, the nippers are correspondingly large and heavy, and the springs holding them closedane still'. It is, accordingly, more satisfactory to provide mechanism to squeeze and open the nipper jaws. Accordingly, the illustrative niachine is provided with a treadle-operated rod which squeezes the nipper aWs against .a stationary part of the machine when the treadlc is depressed. In the case of machines han- (lling light nail plates, there is no necessity for stopping the rotation of the barrel through which the plate is 'fed at the time of the insertion of a new nail plate. On the other hand, if the large and comparatively stilil nail plates from which larger nailsI are lnade are to be inserted, it is desirable, in order to protect the operator, to stop the rotation of the barrel while the nail plate is introduced. Accordingly, the illustrative machine is provided with means for disconnecting the barrel-rotating means at the time a nail plate is introduced, this disconnecting means being operated by the same treadle which operates to squeeze the nipper jaws to release the butt. Then, when, after the insertion of a new nail plate, the treadle is released, the barrel-rotating means again becomes operative.

This invention has doubled the number of machines to which nail plates may be supplied by hand by a single operator and this without any increase in either the first cost or the maintenance charges of the feeding device.

In order to facilitate the insertion of a nail late between the nipper jaws, one of the jaws, conveniently the lower when the nippers are in nail plate inserting position, may be, and as illustrated is, made slightly longer than the other. rlfchis is particularly helpful when small, light nail plates are being haudled.

With the above and other objects and features in view, the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a nail machine supplied with a nail plate feeding device in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view on a larger scale, with parts broken away. of the barreloscillating and nail plate feeding mechanism of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the nozzle of the machine, showing also the nipper jaws of the nail plate feeding device;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the nipper jaws taken from a viewpoint at 90 degrees to that of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the nozzle and nipper jaws of the machine, showing the relation of the nozzle to the knives and other operating parts of the nail machine; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

The nail-1n aking machine of Fig. 1 is of the well-known Perkins type and is provided` as shown more fully in Fig. 5, with the usual bed knife 10, spring guard 12, head guard 14, gage 16, logy 18, leader Q0, bearer Q2 and header 24. Since these parts may all be and are illustrated as constructed and operated in a manner usual with machines of this type, they will not be further described herein.

The nail plates to be operated upon are fed to the nail machine through a. barrel il() mounted in suitable bearings 32, 34. At its forward end the barrel carries a sheet metal nozzle 3G of a conoidal forni, as shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 5, provided with a narrow outlet 37 alining with a corresponding outlet 3S formed in a guard member 40. Guard member 40 is relatively narrow and its outer surface rounded at one end it, the guard member bearing upon the bed knife 10 of the machine as the barrel rotates. Barrel 30 is inclined relatively to the bed knife l() so that the end of the nail plate may lie upon the bed knife during the cutting of the nail blanks therefrom but will be lifted when the end 44 of guard member ll() contacts with the bed knife as the barrel rotates through 180 degrees between the severing of successive nail blanks. Nozzle 3G is riveted, as at 46, to a stiff leaf spring LL8 which underlies an arm 50 integral with guard member 40, arm 5() and spring 4S being secured to the forward end of barrel 30 by screws 52.

The nail plate operated upon, illustrated at 33, is gripped at its outer end between nipper jaws 54, 5G. Jaw 54 is rigidly connected to or is formed at the end of a carrier illustrated as al rod 58 rotatably connected, as shown at 60 in Fig. Q, to a member 6'2 pivoted at 6e to a block GG slidably mounted upon a. square rod 68 supported by a suitable framework 70. The two nipper jaws 54 and 5G are located in a generally parallel relation and are pivoted together at 72, the rear end of the jaws being pressed apart by stiff springs 71 so that a nail plate may be gripped as illustrated in Fig. 4. Thus it will be seen that, by squeezing together the rear end of the jaws, their nail plate engaging ends will be separated so that a butt will drop or may be easily pushed from between the jaws and a new nail plate may be inserted. In order to prevent butt-s from dropping to the floor or from becoming mixed with the nails made by the machine, a receptacle 7G is provided (Figs. 1 and 2) beneath the position occupied by the nipper jaws at the time a new nail plate is inserted therebetween to catch the butts as they are released from the nipper jaws. Conveniently the machine is provided with a rack or racks 80, 82 arranged to carry a supply of nail plates where they will be handy. As illustrated, block G6, to which rod 5S is pivoted, is provided with a handle 84 by means of which rod 58 and the nipper jaws may be withdrawn from barrel 30 after a nail plate has been exhausted, block 6G, rod 5S and the nipper jaws being latched in nail plate inserting position by a spring latch 8G (Fig. Q).

h'lounted upon square rod G8 is a block 83 (.,l-lligs.k 1,2 and 6) provided at its upper surface with: a groove 90 and beveled at; its forward endas-'shown at 93 in Fig. 2. Groove 9.0 is arranged to receive the lower nipper f, jaw at the time of the insertion of a nail plate. If the feeding device is built to handle light, narrow nail plates from which small nails or tacks are made, the lower corners of block 88V may conveniently be rounded, as illustrated at 92. All that is then necessary, in order to release the butt from the nipper jaws, is to squeeze-the nipper jaws 54, 56 back of their pivot 72. Accordingly, the operative grips the nipper jaws 54, 56, and block 88 with his hand and squeezes. the whole. 'I he downward pressure of' the operators hand upon the upper jaw is resisted by the reaction of the block 88 u pon the lower jaw, thus enabling the operator'to use his weight to supplement the squeezing action of his fingers in opening the jaws. Then with his other hand he insert-s the nail plate, which has previously been pushed into the barrel, between the jaws, after which he releases his grip upon block 88 and the nipper jaws, pulls rod 58 so as to release latch 86 and` passes on to the next machine. There the nipper jaws are to be manipulated in this manner, the insertion of the nail plates is facilitated' by making jaw 56,

i which should be the lower jaw when the nippers are squeezed manually in this fashion, somewhat longer than aw 54. Thus the operator can move the end of the nail plate downwardly until it strikes the outwardly lprojecting end of the jaw 56,` and then in wardly between the jaws.

Gn the other hand, if large, heavy nail plates are to be handled, as in the manufacture, for example, of shingle nails, the spring pressure which must be usedv to grip the nail plate issuiiicien-tly great to make it desirable to provide squeezing means for opening the jaws. Such means is disclosed in Figs. 1, 2, and 6, and comprises a rod 96 passing through a hole in block 88 and' having its upper end 98 bent over the position occupied by the upper nipper jaw at the time of the insertion of the nail. plate, the lower jaw being supported at this time by the block 88. l/Vhen the machine isequipped in this manner, jaw 56 should be uppermost at the time of the removal of the butt and the insertion of a new nail plate. as shown in F iig, 2. Rod 96 is connected at its lower end' tov a treadle 100 (Fig. 1) fulcrumed at 102 and connected at its other end to a rod 104' mounted for vertical movement and hearing at its upper end a yoke 106 arranged by upward movement of rod 104 to disconnect the barrel-rotating mechanism.

afwhich will now be described.

Barrel' 30 isrotated through 180 degrees alternately in. opposite directions through the oscillation of a lever having three arms 108, 11:0, 112; Arnd 110V is connected to barrel 30 'fr Aby a strap 114 and a-rm 112is connected to thebarrel by a similar strap 116, the two straps,

however, bearing upon opposite sides of the barrel so that oscillation of the three-armed lever through a suitable angle rotates the barrel iirst in one direction and then in the other through 180 degrees. Arm 108 bears near its lower extremity a pin 118 arranged in what is in elfect a notch formed in a rod 120, 122 connected at one end to a bell crank lever 124 occillated from any suitable part of the nail machine. As bell crank lever 124 is oscillated, rod 120 is reciprocated and the threearmed lever oscillated to rotate the barrel. Since, however, the part 122 of the rod passes through yoke 106, the rod 120, 122 will be lifted when treadle 100 is depressed and will be thereby disconnected from arm 108 so that so long as the treadle is depressed the barrel 30 will remain stationary. As illustrated, rod 120, 122 is made up of two parts with the adjacent ends of the two parts spaced apart a distance slightly greater than thev diameter of pin 118, the two parts 120, 122 being secured in this relation by a bar 126.

Block 66, rod 58, the nipper jaws 54, 56 and the nail plate carried by the latter are urged toward the cutting instrumentalities of the machine by a weight 130 hanging in the bight of a. cord 132 secured at one end to the frame of the machine, as at 184 in Fig. 2, this cord passing under a pulley 136 secured to weight 130 and then up ovei` an idler pulley 138 and rearwardly to block 66.

In the operation ofthe machine, after a nail plate has become exhausted, the operator pulls rod 58 rearwardly until it is latched in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by latch 86. Then, with nipper jaw 56 uppermost, he depresses treadle 100, thus rocking nipper jaw 56 in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, so that the butt is released and drops or may be flipped into receptacle 76, and at the same time through ro'd 104 and yoke 106 disconnecting rod 120, 122 from arm 108 of the three-armed lever so that the rotation of the barrel 30 ceases. Then he puts a nail plate endwise into the barrel, inserting its end between the nipper jaws, and releases treadle 100. After this he releases latch 86 and weight 130 pulls the nippers and the nail plate toward the knives of the machine until the forward end of the naily plate brings up against the gage of the machine which then proceeds to sever blanks from the nail plate and form nails therefrom.

Having described the invention, what claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A nail plate feeding device for a nail machine comprising a rod, means connected with said rod for urging the same forward, a nipper jaw rigidly connected thereto, a second nipper jaw pivoted to the first so that the twojaws will grip a nail plate to present the rfa nail plate to a nail machine and arranged so that b v squeezing the nipper jaws at the side of the pivot remote from their naileugaging portions the jaws will be opened and by releasing the squeezing the jaws will close.

'12. A nail plate 'feeding device for a nail machine comprising a pair of nipper jaws arranged to present a nail plate to a nail machinej a carrier for the nipper jaws, and a member adjacent to the position occupied by the nipper jaws at the time of the removal of a butt therefrom and the insertion of a new nail plate therebetween arranged so that by squeezing the nipper jaws against said niember while the carrier is at rest the jaws will be opened to permit the removal of the butt therefrom and the insertion of a new nail pl a te therebetween :3. A nail plate feeding device for a nail machine comprising a pair of nipper jaws, a carrier for the nipper jaws. means for movingl the carrier and the nipper jaws toward the nail machine to present a nail plate thereto. and means tending to maintain said jaws closed, a member positioned adjacent to the position occupied by the nipper jaws during the removal of a butt therefrom and the replacement of a new strip therebetween against which the nipper aws majv be squeezed while the carrier and the nipper jaws are at rest to release the butt.

A nail plate feeding device for a nail machine comprising a guideway, a slide block mounted for movement thereon, a rod connected at one end to said slide block, a pair of nipper jaws carried at the other end of said rod arranged to present a nail plate to a nail machine. and a member adjacent to the pontion occupied b v the nipper jaws; at the time of the removal of a butt therefrom and the insertion of a new mail plate therebetween arranged that b v squeezing the nipper jaws against said member while the slide block` the rod and the nipper jaws are at rest the jaws will be opened to permit the renu'ival of the butttherefrom and the insertion of a new mail plate therebetween.

A nail plate feeding device for a nail machine comprising a pair of nipper jaws. a tread le, and a rod connected at one end to the tread: i and extending at its other end over the. nipper jaws when said jaws are at nail plate inserting position, arranged by depression of the treadle to open the jaws to permit the removal of a butt therefrom and the insertion of a new nail plate therebetween.

(i. A nail plate feeding device for a nail machine comprising a pair ot' nipper jaws, a l loci; beneath the position occupied by the nipper jaws at the time of the in `nt-ion of a nail plate therebetween. a trcadle, and a rod connected at one, end to the treadle and evtending at its other end over the nipper jawswhen said jaws are at nail plate inserting position so that by depression of the treadle the rod will squeeze said jaws against said block thereby opening said jaws to permit the removal of a butt therefrom and the insertion of a new nail plate therebetween.

7. A ilastening-inseting machine having a barrel, means for rotating the barrel about its longitudinal axis, means for feeding a nail plate through the barrel, a treadle, and connections from the treadle arranged bj' the depression of the treadle simultaneously to rclease the grip of said feeding means upon a butt so as to permit the insertion of a new nail plate and to render inoperative the barrel-rotating means.

8. A nail plate feeding device for a nail machine having a barrel, means for rotating the barrel about its longitudinal axis, a pair of nipper jaws arranged to feed a nail plate through the barrel,` a treadle, and connections from the treadle arranged by the depression of the treadle simultaneousljY to release the grip of the nipper jaws upon a butt so as to permit the removal of the butt and the insertion of a new nail plate and to render inoperative the barrel-rotating means.

t). A nail plate feedingl device for a nail machine comprising a barrel arranged for tscillating movement to present a nail plate alternately in reversed relation to a nail machine, a pair of nipper jaws arranged for movement lengthwise of the barrel to feed a nail plate through the barrel to the nail machine, and means for opening the nipper jaws to release a butt from said jaws constructed and arranged also to stop the oscillating of the barrel so as to permit the positioning of a new nail plate between said jaws.

l0. A nail plate feeding device for a nail machine comprising a barrel, a pair of nipper jaws arranged for movement lengthwise of the barrel to feed a nail plate through the barrel to a nail machine, means for oscillatiua said barrel to present the nail plate alternai'elj7 in reversed relation to the nail machine. a treadle, and connections from the treadle simultaneously to release a butt from the nipper jaws so as to permit the position ing of a new nail pl ate therebetween and to render inoperative the means for oscillating the barrel.

il. A nail plate feeding device for a nail .machine comprising a pair of nipper jaws. means for moving the nipper jaws toward the nail machine to present a nail plate thereto, means for restraining the nipper jaws from nmvement toward the nail machine during the removal of a butt from between the jaws and the positioning of a new nail plate between the jaws, and a member positioned adjacent to the position occuikiied bv the nipper jaws during the removal of the butt therefrom and the replacement of a new strip therebetween against which the nipper jaws may be squeezed to release the butt while they are restrained from movement.

l2. A nail plate feeding device for a nail machine comprising a guideway, a slide member movable thereon, a rod carried by said slide member, a pair of nipper jaws carried by said rod, means for moving the slide along the guideway to cause the nipper jaws to move toward the nail machine to present a nail plate thereto, means for latching the slide to restrain the nipper jaws from movement toward the nail machine during the removal of a butt from between the jaws and the positioning of a new nail plate between the jaws, and a member positioned adjacent to the position occupied by the nipper jaws during the removal of the butt therefrom and the insertion of a new strip therebetween against which the nipper jaws may be squeezed to release the butt.

13. A nail plate feeding device comprising a barrelthrough which a nail plate may be fed to a nail machine, means for gripping the nail plate and for feeding the nail plate through said barrel, means for oscillating said barrel including a reciprocating rod and a detachable connection, a yoke engaging said rod, and manually operated means for releasing the grip of said gripping and feeding means upon the plate and for moving the yoke thereby detaching said connection and rendering the barrel-oscillating means inoperative.

14. A nail plate feeding device comprising a barrel through which a nail plate may be fed to a nail machine, a pair of straps each connected at one end to the barrel and each connected at the other end to an arm of a three-arm lever so that by oscillation of the lever the barrel may be oscillated, a reciprocating rod connected to the third arm of said lever by a pin and slot connection whereby reciprocation of the rod oscillates the threearmed lever and the barrel, a yoke engaging said rod, and a treadle arranged to lift the yoke to cause the latter to lift the rod, thereby disengaging the pin and slot and rendering the barrel-oscillating means inoperative.

l5. A nail plate feeding device comprising a rod, a nipper jaw rigidly carried thereby,v

a second nipper jaw pivoted to the first, resilient means to force apart the portions of the jaws on the side of the pivot adjacent to said rod thereby causing the jaws to grip the nail plate, and means for moving said rod and said nipper jaws to present the nail plate gripped therein to a nail machine.

16. A nail plate feeding device comprising a carrier, a nipper jaw rigidly connected thereto, a second nipper jaw pivoted to the first and mounted in parallel relation thereto to cause the jaws to grip a nail plate when the portions of the jaws on the side of the pivot remote from the nail plate are forced apart, a spring tending to force said last named portions of the nipper jaws apart, and means for moving the carrier and the nipper jaws to present a nail plate carried thereby to a nail machine.

17. A nail plate gripping device having a pair of nipper jaws arranged to grip a nail plate therebetween, the nail plate gripping portion of one of said jaws being somewhat longer than that of the other to facilitate the positioning of a nail plate between the jaws.

18. A nail plate gripping device comprising a pair of nipper jaws, and a spring tending to hold said jaws in nail plate gripping relation, the nail plate gripping portion of one of said jaws being somewhat longerl than that of the other so as to facilitate the positioning of a nail plate between the aws when the jaws are opened by compression of the spring,

19. A nail plat'e feeding device having a pair of nipper jaws pivotally mounted in parallel relation to grip a nail plate therebetween, the nail plate gripping portion of one of said aws being somewhat longer than that of the other to facilitate the positioning of a nail plate between the jaws.

20. A nail plate feeding device having a pair of nipper jaws, and a spring tending to hold said jaws in nail plate gripping relation, the nail plate gripping portion of one of said jaws being somewhat longer than the other so as to facilitate the positioning of a nail plate between the jaws when the jaws are opened, and means for compressing said spring to open the jaws.

2l. A nail plate feeding device for a nail machine comprising a rod, a nipper aw rigidly connected theret'o, a second nipper jaw pivoted to the first so that the two jaws will grip a nail plate to present the nail plate to a nail machine, and resilient' means for maintaining said pivoted jaw in gripping position with respect to said rigidly connected jaw, said nipper j aws being arranged so that by squeezing the nipper jaws at the side of the pivot remote from their nailyengaging portions the jaws will be opened and by releasing the squeezing the resilient means will cause the jaws to close.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM H. JOHNSON. 

